12 REGION EUROPE
12 REGION EUROPE European Travel Commission Set to Boost Marketing © European Commission New ETC President, Peter De Wilde takes the helm and charts a new course for the industry Tourism is one of the flagships of the European economy, worth over 8% of EU GDP and 30 million jobs. The role of President of the European Travel Commission is thus one of vital importance when it comes to shaping the future of our industry. Elected as recently as January of this year, Peter De Wilde, already CEO of the Tourism Office for Flanders, thus has his work cut out for him. We asked Mr De Wilde, at ITB Berlin in this role for the first time, what he saw as being his key challenges… As President of the ETC I will focus on the following targets: To increase marketing efforts by clearly defining the position of Europe, rethinking the choice of target markets and further building up ETC’s market intelligence To let the organisation evolve into the primary partner of all relevant public and private tourism bodies To introduce a light and modern governance of the organisation and an appropriate stakeholder management And to structurally anchor the successful collaboration with the European Commission. It must be very exciting marketing one of the strongest brands in the world – and indeed the strongest tourism brand. What is needed in order to stave off the competition? We are indeed privileged to be able to promote destination Europe in selected long haul markets. Statistics show that, in this globalized world we live in, Europe is losing market share to other regions of the world. I am convinced that we will be able to safeguard Europe’s position as top travel destination, given the unique character of Europe, one to be combined with proper knowledge gathering and sharing and skilfully bringing together private and public efforts. How are feeder markets to Europe changing and how Peter De Wilde ETC President should people in the industry here be adapting to these changes? I would like to answer in more general terms. It is important for everyone involved in our sector to know one’s customer. By knowing and understanding our customer’s needs we will be able to adapt our services accordingly. That is why the ETC has a long history in market research, which forms the basis of all ETC’s operations. How does this new position change your work with Toerisme Vlaanderen? As a peripheral question, what key messages will be highlighted at ITB Berlin from your region? It means that my already stressed agenda is not being spared. But it is a responsibility which I take on gladly and with a lot of enthusiasm. As cofounder of the ETC, Toerisme Vlaanderen has always been a loyal supporter of the ETC, catering in the past for several presidents, executive directors and ETC-working group members. At this year’s ITB, Toerisme Vlaanderen will showcase its brand new stand and highlight themes like the commemoration of WWI, Rubens and his legacy, the Art Museum at the Sea and Cycling in the province of Limburg. What is your key message to the TOs and TAs from around the world attending ITB Berlin? Europe is a marvellous destination to promote to your clients. As ETC, we will gladly work together with key industry representatives who share with us a common goal in promoting Europe. Pedro Ortun Director for Tourism of the European Commission Directorate General for Enterprise and Industry Europe Proposes Easier Visas for Overseas Travellers On March 19 th , the European Travel Commission and the European Commission will officially present a proposal to simplify visa requirements for overseas travellers. The move could lead to a small revolution for European tourism. At ITB Berlin, more than anywhere else, you have every day confirmation that Europe remains global tourism’s most attractive continent. With close to 568 million of travellers, Europe represented 51.8% of all world international arrivals of tourists in 2013, according to preliminary figures of UNWTO. “However we could welcome even more travellers, if visa requirements were simpler. This has been a major source of complaint from overseas tourists,” recognises Pedro Ortun, Director for Tourism of the European Commission Directorate General for Enterprise and Industry. The European Commission is due to present to the public measures to obtain a visa in easier steps. “We will officially present our ‘visa package’ to the European Commission on March 19. It will be at least a leap forward as it will allow travellers to come into Europe. The measure will however request the approval from the parliament and from each country to adhere to EU visa rules. But I am confident as most countries recognize the need to facilitate tourism movements,” adds Mr Ortun. According to the Commissioner, the measures would include extending the visa waiver program to new countries. But also to allow, on the longer term, a two-to five year visa. The visa simplification for overseas travellers is part of the “Europe 2020” target for international tourism. ITB BERLIN NEWS • Saturday 8 th March 2014 www.itb-berlin-news.com
EUROPE REGION 13 Lifestyle Serbia NTOS works in harmony with the ETC in raising visibility Gordana Plamenac CEO of the National Tourism Organisation of Serbia (NTOS) Tourism in Serbia is in constant progress. With an increase of foreign tourist arrivals and in the number of new airlines flying to Belgrade, as well as several prestigious awards for destinations and festivals is raising the awareness of the country’s offering. We asked Gordana Plamenac, CEO of the National Tourism Organisation of Serbia (NTOS) what products are being highlighted this year at ITB Berlin… This year at ITB Berlin NTOS will present the 2014 thematic campaign “Lifestyle Serbia,” which mainly addresses young people and online marketing. However, city breaks, cultural heritage, active holidays, national parks, the Danube, gastronomy and wine, along with different festivals will be presented to the public. Serbia is also commemorating the beginning of World War I this year and has developed material to highlight relevant historic sites around the country. How has your work with the European Travel Commission helped place Serbia on a better pegging overall when talking to TOs and TAs? NTOS indeed has an active role in the work of ETC, sharing the philosophy and the spirit of pan-European thematic itineraries that have been prepared for the overseas markets. The participation of Serbia in these programmes represents the added value in promoting the destination and showcasing the concept BELGRADE IS A HIGHLY COMPETITIVE CONVENTION DESTINATION WITH PROXIMITY TO MAJOR MARKETS of working together with other countries and regions. In this manner, the country’s visibility is raised and the impact of its image is stronger, while also offering a richer experience to the traveller. Beyond promotion, ETC is the platform where joint work reduces the cost and enables an exchange of experiences, ideas and knowledge. Your challenge has been to get Serbia back on a par with other destinations as a reliable and competitive congress destination. How has this been coming along? The credit for the recognition of Serbia as an interesting convention destination is mostly thanks to the Convention Bureau of Serbia, which in the 6 years since its establishment, has managed to improve its ranking on the ICCA list from 72nd to 42nd place. In terms of prices, Belgrade is a highly competitive convention destination with proximity to major markets. How important is ITB Berlin to Serbia in terms of tourism promotion and why? It is more than evident that if a destination is not present at ITB Berlin it is as if it didn’t exist at all. ITB Berlin is the worldwide gathering of representatives of industry, media, inspirational presentations and educational guidelines. It is the “must be place” and Serbia is happy to make use of all the opportunities that such an event has to offer. Hall 2.2 Stand 211 ITB BERLIN NEWS • Saturday 8 th March 2014
